Jul 13, 2016 - Administrator (p. 64), DELETE the words: âThe proposed individual should have at least a Bachelor's deg
Addendum 1 SEL.:
2017-D-003045-1
Project Title: Asia Pacific Trade and Investment Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) A. AMENDMENT TO THE RFP 1. In Section 4 of the RFP, Terms of Reference, Annex A, Project Description, under Project Organizations / Governance (p. 43), DELETE the words: “All developing countries in Asia Pacific eligible for Official Development Assistance (including countries where Canada does not have a bilateral development assistance program).” and REPLACE by the words: “Potentially all developing countries in Asia Pacific eligible for Official Development Assistance (including countries where Canada does not have a bilateral development assistance program).” 2. In Section 5, Evaluation Criteria, Requirement 1, DELETE the words «have a start date within the last ten (10) years at the Request for Proposals (RFP) Closing Date.» And REPLACE by the words «have a start date within the last fifteen (15) years at the Request for Proposals (RFP) Closing Date.» 3. In Section 5 of the RFP, Evaluation Criteria, under Requirement 6.1.1 Education for the Project Administrator (p. 64), DELETE the words: “The proposed individual should have at least a Bachelor’s degree in any discipline, ideally a Master’s degree in a relevant discipline or an accounting designation (up to 9 points).” and REPLACE by the words: “The proposed individual should have completed post-secondary education in any discipline, ideally in a relevant discipline (up to 9 points).” B. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Question 1
Answer 1
Question 2
Answer 2 Question 3
Could DFATD provide an update on the previously tendered Expert Deployment Mechanism for Trade and Development (EDM), given the potential for overlap (including overlap of personnel) between this project and the Asia Pacific Trade and Investment Technical Assistance Facility (TAF)? The assessment of bids for the EDM is nearing completion. DFATD will endeavor to inform bidders to the EDM of the RFP results prior to the close of tender for the TAF. [Under Requirement 6.1.1: Education for the Project Administrator] Would DFATD consider changing the requirement for a project administrator to hold a bachelor or master’s degree? Most of the people doing this type of work, particularly those with multi-country experience, may not meet the established education criteria, despite having relevant experience. DFATD has revised the RFP. See Part A, item 3 of this Addendum. What is the role of the Canadian embassies and high commissions located in the Asia Pacific region, in the context of the TAF?
Addendum 1 SEL.:
2017-D-003045-1
Answer 3
Canadian embassies and high commissions will be one avenue for the submission of proposed mandates and will be engaged in the analysis of mandate proposals.
Question 4 Answer 4
Is there sufficient demand in the region for both the TAF and the Expert Deployment Mechanism for Trade and Development (EDM)? The TAF activities will have broader scope than the EDM, as demonstrated in the example mandates included in the request for proposals (RFP) for the TAF. The TAF also differs from the EDM in its geographic concentration in the Asia-Pacific region.
Question 5
Can requests come from embassies and high commissions located in Canada?
Answer 5
DFATD anticipates that requests are likely to come from partner countries located in the Asia Pacific, however, there is nothing precluding the submission of requests through embassies and high commissions located in Canada.
Question 6
Can bidders propose one candidate for two positions included in the RFP?
Answer 6
The RFP does not preclude the submission of one candidate for two positions.
Question 7
Can DFATD identify the developing countries in the Asia Pacific region eligible for TAF support?
Answer 7
Countries eligible for TAF support could potentially include all official development assistance (ODA) eligible countries in the Asia Pacific region, extending from Afghanistan to South Pacific Islands. *The list of ODA-eligible countries is maintained by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The next review of the DAC List will take place in 2017.
Question 8
Is India among the developing/recipient countries as referred to in the tender/RFP?
Answer 8
India appears in the DAC list of ODA-eligible countries.
Question 9
Would RFP requirements be met if the bidder proposes to establish a field office in India?
Answer 9
Article 3.2.1, Inception Phase, of Annex B - Specific Mandate of the Consultant, contained in the RFP specifies that the field office is to be located in Southeast Asia.
Question 10
Requirement 6.2.3 of Section 5 (Evaluation Criteria) states that experience of a project administrator will be evaluated, in part, based on, “[a]t least 24 months experience coordinating projects with dispersed resources in a multitude of developing countries from a central headquarters hub (full points for 5 or more developing countries, up to 15 points).” Is this multi-country work required of a single project, or does working simultaneously on multiple projects in multiple countries qualify?
Addendum 1 SEL.:
2017-D-003045-1
Answer 10
The multi-country work experience need not be in a single project. It may have been acquired through working simultaneously on multiple projects in multiple countries.
Question 11
Is it the expectation of DFATD that the majority of the project team should be based in whichever Southeast Asian city the bidder has established a field office?
Answer 11
The project manager must be based in the project office in Southeast Asia. The Trade Expert, Access to Finance and SMEs Development Expert, the Gender Equality Expert and the Environment Expert may be based elsewhere in Southeast Asia. However, DFATD will only reimburse the cost of one field office.
Question 12
We would like to request an amendment to SEL.: 2017- D-003045-1: RFP for Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) Project.
Answer 12
Requirement 1 (page 58) states “to be deemed eligible a project has to have a start date within the last ten (10) years at the Request for Proposals (RFP) Closing Date. As the criteria is written now, if a project ran for seven years, and ended in 2013, it would not have qualified because the project started prior to 2006. We believe the requirement should read that the project had to be operational within the last 10 years. Requirement 1 of the RFP is revised. Please see Part A, item 2 of this Addendum.
C. BIDDERS CONFERENCE MINUTES AND OTHERS Presentation of the Asia Pacific Trade and Investment Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) project by the Project Team Leader – Annex A – PowerPoint presentation (attach.) The basic condition for TAF engagement is that it will contribute to reducing poverty in Asia Pacific developing countries through support to the enabling environment for trade and investment-related economic activities. Requests for technical assistance (i.e. mandates) will reflect needs expressed by local partners, including regional institutions, government and non-government actors. Mandates can include one or a combination of expert deployments, study tours, joint research, exchanges, conferences, etc. Each mandate will be valued at up to $500,000, and will be implemented over a period of typically a few months, and up to two years, on an exceptional basis. D. All other terms and conditions remain unchanged.
